SYDNEY SPEEDWAY BACK ON TRACK

Media release by: Dennis Newlyn…  Feature photo by: Gary Reid

Eastern Creek’s Sydney International Speedway, which commences its 2024-25 season Saturday night, Setpember 14, will conduct a nine month fixture schedule marking the first time in five years a racing campaign of this duration has been held in Sydney.

The upcoming season will conclude next May after 25 fixtures. The last full term equivalent was the 2018-19 campaign at the former Parramatta City Raceway before its gates closed prematurely during the 2019-20 season in March 2020. The site was later decommissioned and earmarked for demolition as part of the NSW Government’s Metro-West rail link.

The good news for SIS promoter Garry Willmington is the Eastern Creek venue’s troubled past, marred by interruptions due to constructional flaws and lost seasons, has been overcome. He sees a more settled future. He says the upcoming season is about stabilisation and consolidation.

“This season presents the first real opportunity to get back to the grass roots of Sydney speedway, families who come through the gate are the cogs in the machine that will make this place work,” Willmington said.

However, due to the loss of consistent racing in the past, he also sees a challenge awaits.

“We have been so long without regular weekly speedway racing in Sydney some people have found other things to do. The key to fixing that is not only a big season ahead, but providing top quality racing and a night of family entertainment to stabilise and consolidate going into the future.”

Sprintcars are speedway’s most popular category and Willmington has scheduled the division for 18 appearances, while Speedcars are set for 12 fixtures.

The busiest period of the season will be the Christmas-New Year high time, with eight fixtures set from December 26 to January 18.

Eastern Creek Motorsport Precinct is under the jurisdiction of NSW Government’s Greater Sydney Parklands in charge of respective venue leasing at the site. “We are excited about what lies ahead for speedway and believe that this is the start of a new era for the sport and its fans,” a GSP spokesperson said.